IS, among other social sciences, have moved from a relative paucity of theories about social phen... more IS, among other social sciences, have moved from a relative paucity of theories about social phenomenon to a a state of multiple, overlapping, and overly narrow theories. We offer three Modes for theory Integration that will enable researchers to better integrate theories and processes into internally coherent models within theories, across theories and between fields. The basis for integration are semantic similarity, nomological congruence and physical/functional/causal overlap. We develop a framework that will justify propositions for theory integration that can subsequently be tested for correspondence to real world phenomenon.
Journal of the Association for Information Systems
The goal of a review article is to present the current state of knowledge in a research area. Two... more The goal of a review article is to present the current state of knowledge in a research area. Two important initial steps in writing a review article are boundary identification (identifying a body of potentially relevant past research) and corpus construction (selecting research manuscripts to include in the review). We present a theory-as-discourse approach which a) creates a theory ecosystem of potentially relevant prior research using a citation-network approach to boundary identification; and b) identifies manuscripts for consideration using machine learning or random selection. We demonstrate an instantiation of the theory as discourse approach through a proof-of-concept, which we call the Automated Detection of Implicit Theory (ADIT) technique. ADIT improves performance over the conventional approach as practiced in past Technology Acceptance Model reviews (i.e., keyword search, sometimes manual citation chaining); it identifies a set of research manuscripts that is more comprehensive and at least as precise. Our analysis shows that the conventional approach failed to identify a majority of past research. Like the three blind men examining the elephant, the conventional approach distorts the totality of the phenomenon. ADIT also enables researchers to statistically estimate the number of relevant manuscripts which were excluded from the resulting review article, thus enabling an assessment of the review article’s representativeness.
The ontological and epistemological concepts underlying Information Systems research have evolved... more The ontological and epistemological concepts underlying Information Systems research have evolved over time. Historically research in positivist and quantitative paradigms explain phenomena by identifying mechanical-causal factors or by logically deducing outcomes from general laws. As interpretive and qualitative approaches have become accepted, new types of explanatory knowledge have been based on interactions, processes and human intentions. Since IS artifacts are
... Dirk S. Hovorka Bond University, Australia Matt Germonprez University of Wisconsin - Eau Clai... more ... Dirk S. Hovorka Bond University, Australia Matt Germonprez University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, USA Abstract In this paper we apply a sociomaterial perspective to the relationships of people, work, and technology to provide further insights into design research. ...
Distributed organizations face numerous difficulties during implementation of knowledge-intensive... more Distributed organizations face numerous difficulties during implementation of knowledge-intensive projects. These types of initiatives require that organizations have absorptive capacity or the ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit new knowledge. This case study examines IS adoption strategy based upon the effect of organizational structure on the ability of the organization to implement an large scale information system. A specific
ABSTRACT The information services view engenders a conceptual shift from the provision of defined... more ABSTRACT The information services view engenders a conceptual shift from the provision of defined and predetermined services to an environment that enables users to select and integrate information services in the ongoing creation and recreation of unique information systems. The information services view (ISV) conceptualizes technology as an ensemble of facilities that perform an action or function on the users behalf. The vision of ISV is the realization of user enabled, real time production of ad hoc information systems. Full Text at Springer, may require registration or fee
... Rather it has theorized a class of information processes that includes the artifact, the part... more ... Rather it has theorized a class of information processes that includes the artifact, the participant, and the situated task environment. We see potential fruitfulness in the Theory of Tailorable Technology Design in its ability to predict novel observations. ...
ABSTRACT An expanded perspective on information system design paradigms reveals that information ... more ABSTRACT An expanded perspective on information system design paradigms reveals that information systems (IS) have a generative capacity that enables reframing and recasting reality based upon alternative values. By synthesizing research in sustainable value, generative capacity, and community-based geographic information systems (GIS), we propose that IS can empower communities to create community sustainable value as they face increasing environmental and growth challenges. This surfaces the opportunity for the design and implementation of GIS to reduce information asymmetry, empower communities, and provide a history of decision-making, thereby enabling monitoring of the components of community sustainable value. Community members may incorporate local data, present alternative development/conservation scenarios, and gain a voice in the planning process. As Web-enabled GIS and low-cost analytic systems become accessible, the system design process itself represents an opportunity for situated social action in the formation of community sustainable values. Synthesizing these perspectives, we put forward the view that GIS development and use at a community level is a potentially constructive social process of value formation that can enable communities to envision their own futures.
IS, among other social sciences, have moved from a relative paucity of theories about social phen... more IS, among other social sciences, have moved from a relative paucity of theories about social phenomenon to a a state of multiple, overlapping, and overly narrow theories. We offer three Modes for theory Integration that will enable researchers to better integrate theories and processes into internally coherent models within theories, across theories and between fields. The basis for integration are semantic similarity, nomological congruence and physical/functional/causal overlap. We develop a framework that will justify propositions for theory integration that can subsequently be tested for correspondence to real world phenomenon.
Journal of the Association for Information Systems
The goal of a review article is to present the current state of knowledge in a research area. Two... more The goal of a review article is to present the current state of knowledge in a research area. Two important initial steps in writing a review article are boundary identification (identifying a body of potentially relevant past research) and corpus construction (selecting research manuscripts to include in the review). We present a theory-as-discourse approach which a) creates a theory ecosystem of potentially relevant prior research using a citation-network approach to boundary identification; and b) identifies manuscripts for consideration using machine learning or random selection. We demonstrate an instantiation of the theory as discourse approach through a proof-of-concept, which we call the Automated Detection of Implicit Theory (ADIT) technique. ADIT improves performance over the conventional approach as practiced in past Technology Acceptance Model reviews (i.e., keyword search, sometimes manual citation chaining); it identifies a set of research manuscripts that is more comprehensive and at least as precise. Our analysis shows that the conventional approach failed to identify a majority of past research. Like the three blind men examining the elephant, the conventional approach distorts the totality of the phenomenon. ADIT also enables researchers to statistically estimate the number of relevant manuscripts which were excluded from the resulting review article, thus enabling an assessment of the review article’s representativeness.
The ontological and epistemological concepts underlying Information Systems research have evolved... more The ontological and epistemological concepts underlying Information Systems research have evolved over time. Historically research in positivist and quantitative paradigms explain phenomena by identifying mechanical-causal factors or by logically deducing outcomes from general laws. As interpretive and qualitative approaches have become accepted, new types of explanatory knowledge have been based on interactions, processes and human intentions. Since IS artifacts are
... Dirk S. Hovorka Bond University, Australia Matt Germonprez University of Wisconsin - Eau Clai... more ... Dirk S. Hovorka Bond University, Australia Matt Germonprez University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire, USA Abstract In this paper we apply a sociomaterial perspective to the relationships of people, work, and technology to provide further insights into design research. ...
Distributed organizations face numerous difficulties during implementation of knowledge-intensive... more Distributed organizations face numerous difficulties during implementation of knowledge-intensive projects. These types of initiatives require that organizations have absorptive capacity or the ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit new knowledge. This case study examines IS adoption strategy based upon the effect of organizational structure on the ability of the organization to implement an large scale information system. A specific
ABSTRACT The information services view engenders a conceptual shift from the provision of defined... more ABSTRACT The information services view engenders a conceptual shift from the provision of defined and predetermined services to an environment that enables users to select and integrate information services in the ongoing creation and recreation of unique information systems. The information services view (ISV) conceptualizes technology as an ensemble of facilities that perform an action or function on the users behalf. The vision of ISV is the realization of user enabled, real time production of ad hoc information systems. Full Text at Springer, may require registration or fee
... Rather it has theorized a class of information processes that includes the artifact, the part... more ... Rather it has theorized a class of information processes that includes the artifact, the participant, and the situated task environment. We see potential fruitfulness in the Theory of Tailorable Technology Design in its ability to predict novel observations. ...
ABSTRACT An expanded perspective on information system design paradigms reveals that information ... more ABSTRACT An expanded perspective on information system design paradigms reveals that information systems (IS) have a generative capacity that enables reframing and recasting reality based upon alternative values. By synthesizing research in sustainable value, generative capacity, and community-based geographic information systems (GIS), we propose that IS can empower communities to create community sustainable value as they face increasing environmental and growth challenges. This surfaces the opportunity for the design and implementation of GIS to reduce information asymmetry, empower communities, and provide a history of decision-making, thereby enabling monitoring of the components of community sustainable value. Community members may incorporate local data, present alternative development/conservation scenarios, and gain a voice in the planning process. As Web-enabled GIS and low-cost analytic systems become accessible, the system design process itself represents an opportunity for situated social action in the formation of community sustainable values. Synthesizing these perspectives, we put forward the view that GIS development and use at a community level is a potentially constructive social process of value formation that can enable communities to envision their own futures.
Uploads
Papers by Dirk Hovorka